With holiday travel and shopping in full swing, we thought we'd share a few tips to get more bang for your buck with your travel rewards credit card.

If you are one of those people who tracks your credit card rewards on a spread sheet, who knows every strategy to jack up points, who will travel free for life thanks to credit card points, stop reading right now. This article is not for you.

These tips are for the rest of us, people looking for the best rewards and trying to be smart about fitting these programs into busy lives. Oliver Wyman conducted a survey of credit card holders and found that people are actively searching for a the next great card. Of credit card holders, 65 percent switch their primary card at least once every five years, and 40 percent switch at least every two years. And the No. 1 reason for switching: Better rewards.

With the survey in hand, and drawing on extensive work with travel brands, loyalty programs, and credit card issuers, we offer nine tips for you to make the most of the vast array of rewards cards available.

1. Co-branded card or proprietary?

First, choose the right type of card for you. A co-branded card carries the brand of the issuing bank and the travel company or retailer offering rewards. A co-branded card usually offers richer points or miles, but only for that airline or hotel program, because that travel company controls the cost of the reward and travel benefits. With a proprietary card, the bank issuer offers its own system of rewards, points, or cash back. Proprietary programs are usually more flexible than co-branded programs, with various types of rewards and often extensive lists of points transfer partners, but the redemption value can be lower because the issuer must pay for the travel rewards and benefits.

If you primarily travel with one airline or hotel and are already invested in its loyalty program, consider a co-branded card to maximize your value from that program. If you don’t want to be tied to one travel program, then a proprietary program is for you.